Top 27 Biology-themed Movies

Genetics is the study of heredity and the variations that occur on heritable traits. Our first biology movie in this best sci-fi movies list is set in the fictional aerospace firm in the future;

Gattaca is a movie that tells the story of how one’s genetic makeup determines people’s societal classes. This idea caught the attention of Vincent Freeman, who wanted to become an astronaut so badly that he went on procedures to change his genetic profile.

Biotechnology is the branch of biology that deals with the utilization of biological organisms and systems to create novel products. For instance, the process of reproductive Cloning, the process of creating copies of DNA, cells, or organisms, is considered the most recent development in the field.

The 2003 sci-fi movie entitled Blueprint revolves around the very idea of cloning. This biology movie deals with the story of the first-ever cloned human being and the search for everlasting life.

Genetic Engineering is a relatively new field of biology that deals with the manipulation of an organism’s gene to alter its phenotype. For instance, the Splice movie, built around the concept of human cloning and genetic engineering, tells the story of how genetic engineers tried to gain fame by splicing different animal DNA to form new ones for medical use.

This biology movie centers around the life of Louis Pasteur, one of the progenitors of the disciplines of Microbiology and Immunology. Despite working at a time when the study of the microbial world was poorly appreciated, Pasteur was able to come up with the process called “pasteurization“.

This process, named after him, involves heating food (both liquid and solid) to a sub-boiling temperature, followed by rapid cooling. Aside from that, Pasteur developed vaccines against rabies and anthrax.

The 1995 movie Outbreak focuses on the struggle of army Doctors to look for ways on how to prevent a fatal virus from an African Monkey from spreading throughout a town in California.

Aside from that, the group must also save the people’s lives before the army superiors do their real motives. If you love thriller movies with a bit of science fiction in them, you will love this movie.

Bioterrorism (or biological terrorism), as its name suggests, is the use of living organisms to harm or kill people intentionally, much in the same way as traditional terrorism methods.

One good example of this concept is the movie Bioterror. This Hollywood movie mainly focuses on bioterrorism and the possibility of anthrax.

Coming from the Greek word “anatome” which means dissection, Anatomy is the branch of science that deals with the identification and description of the body structures of living things. If you love watching cadaver dissection videos, the movie Anatomy is perfect for you.

Here, the medical student Paula Henning is set to investigate the cadaver of a young man and eventually uncover a conspiracy being kept by a secret society in her school.

Based on the biography of an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks, the movie is an adaptation of the book of the same title. It depicts the story of Lacks, who died because of cervical cancer, and from whom doctors have (illegally) taken samples of malignant tissues as a part of their quest for cells that could survive and reproduce outside the body.

Interestingly, Lacks’ cells could do this, eventually establishing the HeLa cell line. Because of this, the study of cells and tissues have been further developed, leading to significant developments in the field of histology. This field deals with the study of biological tissues and the ways they interact structurally and functionally with other cells and tissues in the body.

Physiology is the branch of biology that studies the functions and processes that occur in living organisms. For instance, a surgeon, like any skilled biologist, should have a good knowledge of physiology.

The movie entitled The Physician, based on the best-selling book of the same name, tells the story of a boy who wanted to become a surgeon and to do that, disguised himself as a Jew to be admitted in a medical school. Aside from human physiology and anatomy, this biology movie tackles other themes like family and religion, too!

Short for biological chemistry, Biochemistry is the integration and understanding of the chemical processes that occur in living organisms.

Interestingly, the movie entitled The Madness of King George revolves around this subject area. The movie tells the behavior of the late King George III as he suffers from a hereditary metabolic disorder known as Porphyria. People with this disease suffer from discoloration of urine and eventually, madness due to porphyrin buildup, which is still a mystery during that time.

Emerging its origins from biochemistry, the field of glycobiology has transformed into a vital extension of medical science. By definition, glycobiology is the scientific study of the biology, structure, and synthesis of widely-distributed Carbohydrates, and metabolism in general.

For instance, the movie named Extraordinary Measures deals with the struggles of a couple to find the cure for their children’s Pompe disease, a rare metabolic genetic disorder.

By definition, pathology is the branch of medicine that deals with the study of diseases. One of the most popular topics in this field is the mechanism by which cancer forms.

In particular, this documentary/TV series movie Autopsy Life and Death: Tumors, a part of the BBC series by Dr.Gunther Von Hagens, deals with the study of the causes, formation, and effects of cancer.

Historically speaking, the human immunodeficiency virus and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome began as an illness that had caused fear and widespread mortality in the world. When it comes to list of science fiction films on this topic, The Lazarus Effect should be on your watch list.

Here, the impacts of the disease, as well as the antiretroviral cure for it will be discussed. The movie’s theme is covered by epidemiology, the branch of biology that deals with disease occurrence, distribution, treatment, and control.

The next movie in this biology movies list is about the life of one of the most famous neurosurgeons at the John Hopkins Hospital–Dr. Ben Carson. Here, you will witness the humble beginnings of Carson as a poor student and eventually become a medical doctor at a prestigious university.

In the history of neurosurgery, Carson led a team of 70 medical members in the first ever attempt to separate the conjoined twins, Benjamin, and Patrick Binder. The twins had suffered some complications, but they both survived the operation. As a result, Carson’s successful operation is considered the first medical procedure.

An animated movie that talks about how the body’s immune system reacts when it catches diseases like colds–that is all that Osmosis Jones is all about. Told in the point of view of the white blood cell in the name Osmosis Jones, this is immunology explained in more natural terms–the specialized functions and roles of different cells and tissues, as well as the mechanisms by which they get rid of the infection.

If you are interested in studying about Fossils and other creatures of the past, then this movie is perfect for you. While there have been many movies about dinosaurs, the science fiction movies of the Jurassic Park series are perhaps one of the best. In the movies, dinosaurs were not depicted as the typical ferocious monsters often portrayed in other media but rather actual living creatures of the past. Moreover, despite being a sci-fi movie, the Jurassic Park series only proves how paleontology has progressed.

Evolution is defined as the changes that occur in the genetic makeup of populations over time.

These changes may be caused by different factors such as Mutation, hybridization, natural selection, and so on. Suppose you want to know more about natural selection. In that case, the most widely known drivers of evolution, the documentary movie Darwin’s Struggle: The Evolution of the Origin of Species is one of the best ways to do it. Here, discover the process by which organisms change through time as a result of changes in their inherited characteristics.

As its name suggests, Marine Biology is the study of marine organisms, their behavior, and their relationship with their environment. Aside from that, other associated fields like oceanography, taxonomy, and systematics are also encompassed.

For instance, the Future movie Girls: Adventures in Marine Biology tells the story of elementary school-aged girls as they try to learn about the science of marine biology and eventually consider it as a career choice. After watching this movie, you might consider taking a career in marine biology.

As its name suggests, the movie centers on the study of the ecological conservation of whale sharks in the Philippines. Biologically speaking, whale sharks are considered the largest fish in the animal kingdom and are a vegetarian regarding diet. However, despite their name and size, these organisms are gentle creatures that help maintain species in the food chain and serve as a biological indicator of ocean health.

This biology movie shows how despite worldwide efforts to conserve them, whale sharks are still hunted commercially, thus posing severe threats to their population.

Based on the non-fiction book of the same name, the movie The Botany of Desire explores the breathtaking beauty of nature and the science behind it.

Here, you could learn a lot about concepts like genetic engineering, ecology, as well as the factors that ensure the survival of Plants. If you love botany, the study of plants, then this documentary movie is a must-watch.

Do you love mushrooms? If your answer is yes, the field of mycology might be a suitable field for you. Here, you will primarily study the identification, biochemical properties, and their uses and applications. One great way to learn more about mycology is by watching the movie Fantastic Fungi by Louie Schwartzberg.

The biology movie aims to educate people about the importance of fungi and inspire them to appreciate their existence.

Ecology is a branch of biology that deals with the study of the interactions between living organisms and their physical environment. If you want a good grasp of how living organisms interact, the 2007 documentary entitled Earth is what you should be watching.

A feature-length version of the Planet Earth documentary TV series, this biology documentary showcases the migration patterns of four representative families in the animal kingdom.

Coming from the Greek words “ornithos” and “logos” which mean “Birds” and “study of” respectively, to simply put, ornithology is the scientific study of birds. Inspired by this branch of biology is the movie The Big Year, adapted from the best-selling book of the same title. The movie tells the true story of three men who were obsessed with the competition in the search for the “best birder in the world“. With many scenes showcasing the beauty of nature and the diversity of birds, this comedy movie is a must-watch.

What better way to learn Zoology, the study of animals and their behavior, than experience it first-hand in the wild? Based on the non-fiction book of the same title, Into the Wild is a movie about a person who walked away from his affluent lifestyle to seek adventure in the wilderness.

Aside from this, you will also discover what it is like to survive without the company of others, and that nature could be ruthless sometimes. This movie is a heartwarming one!

The last but not the least biology movie is the most recent fields to emerge – biocontrol. This branch deals with the fundamental and applied studies and research when it comes to the control of pests, whether they are plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, or even Microorganisms.

One of the best movies that deal with this topic is the documentary movie entitled Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. Here, you will get to know about the effort to introduce the said animals as counter-pests in Australia.

Overpopulation in biology generally refers to when a given species’ population surpasses the carrying limit of its ecological niche. Overpopulation can occur from a rise in births, a drop in the death rate, or an unsustainable biome and reduction of resources. It is further classified into two categories: human overpopulation and animal population.

The Hollywood movie ‘Downsizing’ starring Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig attempts to find an answer to overpopulation and global warming issues. In the movie, a Norwegian scientist invents a process called “cellular miniaturization” where an organism (lab rat) reduces to 1/100th of its size. The same process is applied to the main character of the movie, and all the consequences and adventures he had to experience after becoming 5 inches tall cover the rest of the movie. While the inventors defend that downsizing is environmentally friendly by the decrease of waste, the movie argues that its advantages reach far beyond that and improve one’s life through the increase in the value of their money.

This whole movie plot is based on the myth that the human brain uses only 10% of its power. The story stretches this idea to see what happens if someone gets 100% brain power and what can be accomplished.

The main character Lucy starred by (Scarlett Johansson) is tricked by her boyfriend to deliver a briefcase which supposed to be a business contract. Still, it contains a powerful blue crystalline synthetic drug (CPH4). During the suitcase delivery, she gets abducted by a Korean mob who turns her into a drug mule for drug trafficking to different countries.

The thugs surgically implant the CPH4 drug packet into Lucy’s stomach, which leaks into her neural system during a confrontation with one of the bad guys. Then, as a result, she gets superhuman abilities, including telekinesis, telepathy, enhanced physical/mental skills, no feeling of pain or emotions, mental time travel & witnessing the beginning of time including the big bang, extraordinary memory power even remembering from day-1 of her life and much more.

Then she escapes and reaches out to the Neurologist (Morgan Freeman), who helps her to download all ‘newly-acquired‘ info from her new cerebral power.

What CPH4 in biology?

In biology, the CPH4 enzyme represents 1 carbon atom, 1 phosphorous atom, and 4 hydrogen atoms chemically known as 6-carboxytetrahydropterin synthase. In pregnant women, after the 6th week of pregnancy, CPH4 molecules are secreted in a very tiny quantity. This compound helps in baby’s brain development and skeletal growth.